i remember it all too well

Sean wouldn’t know what to do if Rhea wasn’t around, as much as he would nothing more than to make her share the bedroom with him, he didn’t want to impose his needs on her, specially because Lily’s needs were priority in this house, having a baby in the house was a lot of work, but he wouldn’t change anything, lily already had a special place in his heart, that some would say it didn’t exist, and he would do anything for the little girl.

Rhea voice call him off guard, he dropped what he was doing and ran toward the nursery as fast as he could afraid that something bad had happened, and when he found Lily in Rhea arms and none of them were hurt, he already started to call down. “Yes?” He asked, not exactly sure why rhea had called him there, but his question was answered when Lily called Rhea mama again and Sean smiled it, just happy with what he was seeing, so much that he grabbed his phone and decided to take a photo of the two of them, so that moment would be registered forever. “My two girls.” he said walking closer to them. “Can you say dadda?” Sean asked lily just that just repeated mama and just made him laugh.

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Rhea didn’t mean to sound so frantic (and in hindsight she hoped she hadn’t worried him) but at the same time she just couldn’t help it because she’d been so excited. She’d never really had a family before, and for years without Sean around she’d convinced herself she’d just...be alone for however long her life would be. But then now here was Sean in her life once again, and now there was Lily.....and now for the first time in years..she felt like she had a family again. 

One that she didn’t want to lose.

Over the last few months, Rhea had been spending more and more time at Sean’s estate, so much so that she even had some of her stuff there now, a spare bedroom she’d taken on for herself. She said it was so she could help with Lily (and that was true, she genuinely loved the little girl and wanted to spend as much time with her as she could) but the reality was...she also stayed around because she wanted to be around Sean more.

He’d hurt her--for decades, and they still argued almost every day, but Rhea had found that over the last few months...she’d finally come to the point where she felt like she could forgive him for abandoning her all those years ago. She just wasn’t sure how to go about saying all that..especially since she wasn’t sure how it’d change how things currently were between them.

Like now, while Sean was in his office finishing up for the evening Rhea was in the nursery, finished feeding Lily her bottle for the night and settling her into her  crib for bed. She was happily babbling along with Lily until she heard a very specific babble and she gasped, eyes widening. Mama. She’d said mama.

“Sean!” She called out excitedly, immediately lifting the baby out of her crib so she could hug her.

@seanwhitehall​

Sean was having a great time, being around lily and rhea was the only thing he wanted, but as fate seemed to laugh at Sean face, of course things started to go wrong, at least it wasn’t his fault this time. Hearing the explosion, Sean placed his arms around Rhea getting in front of Lily was well trying to protect both of them from whatever was happening, Sean was wishing for something exciting to happen for so long and now that it did, he found himself not wanting this to happen, or at least not right now.

“Is okay.” Sean said, trying to calm Rhea down, as lily was not happy with the loud noises and started to cry. He kissed the top of Rhea head as he gave his hand to lily, trying to distract her a little and calm her down. “Come.” He said, grabbing Rhea hand, the only thing on his mind was that he needed to keep both of them safe. “We’re going to my place, you two will be safe in the basement.”

Rhea didn’t even fight him on it when Sean suddenly wrapped himself around her and Lily, shielding them for a moment as the sounds of explosions rang out. Lily was screaming all the while, clearly startled and scared and while Sean covered her, Rhea covered Lily, wrapping her arms tighter around the girl and trying to shush her gently even though she knew the baby could feel how hard Rhea’s own heart was pounding all the while. She was so overwhelmed by everything that she didn’t even realize Sean had kissed her head before he was pulling away and grabbing for her hand and she let him, keeping the other securely around Lily, gripping the baby close to her chest. 

“I don’t hate orange.” He answered with a smirk, wondering what did she have in mind, the first thing that came was a fish, but he didn’t think it was correct. Whatever it was, he was happy to go along, if having his face painted would make Rhea less angry at him that was a small price to pay.

.

Rhea grinned as he agreed to her antics and honestly...all of it felt nice. Felt right. They probably looked like a happy little family to anyone who’d walked by--and Rhea had never had a family growing up. She never knew what it was like to have a mother, and her father was a memory she’d happily forget. But Sean...he’d been her family all those years ago. The closest thing she’d ever had. And now Lily....

The thought was interrupted by the sudden sound of explosions in the distance, multiple ones followed by screams and sounds of alarm from the people around them. On instinct she tightened her arms around Lily, looking around more before she looked up to Sean, confusion and fear in her gaze. “Wh...What?” Everything just got worse after that. The smell of fire soon hit her nostrils and she looked around again just as the sirens began blaring. “Sean..”

He liked seeing Rhea and Lily, the two got along very well and Rhea seemed to know what she was doing, at least way more than Sean did, most of the time he was just praying for Lily not to cry.  “Deal, you two can pick together what I will look like.” He pointed out. “But you will have to match me.” Otherwise it wouldn’t be fair.

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Rhea happily settled Lily in her arms as she began walking and honestly...it was nice, walking like this with the both of them. To anyone walking by..they probably looked like a family. And Rhea didn’t know if that thought made her happy or nervous--probably a mix of both. “Well that makes it less fun getting to choose yours.” She shot back as they got up to the facepainting booth. “But okay, okay. Deal. ...How do you feel about orange?”

Sean smiled it, trying not to move, like if he did, rhea would move away from them, and he didn’t want that. She was right, this would be Lily’s first sugar overload, but it wasn’t like she was a quiet baby, so he doubted it would be much of a difference. “We would love to have you with us.” He said. “Will you join us in the face painting booth?” he asked with a delighted smirk, imagining rhea with her face painted was fun, and he would love not to be the only grown up looking silly around.

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Rhea barely waited a second more when Sean agreed before she was undoing the buckles of the harness and immediately hugging Lily to her, her smile widening as she cuddled the little girl close. She wasn’t even going to deny how much (and how quickly) she’d come to love Lily, and every time she saw Sean with him...she saw a part of the man she’d first loved all those years ago. The one who was kinder, softer. A part of him that only she’d ever seen. 

It made hating him a lot more difficult too.

“Face painting, huh?” She asked, adjusting her hold on Lily before she let out a breath and nodded, “Okay. But I get to pick what you get.”

He was always happy to see Rhea, he wasn’t exactly sure if she came because of Lily, or because he was her sire, but at the end it didn’t matter, he was just happy to spend some time with her. “Lily does love the attention.” He pointed out, he had tried to let Lily with the other kids and have someone look after her, but the girl refused to stay and started to cry the second Sean put her down, he couldn’t blame her for wanting to see all this colorful things instead of sitting down with a stranger. “Are you looking at the cute baby or at the cute Daddy?”

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Rhea rolled her eyes at his comment but she didn’t tell him off for it--instead she actually smiled in bemusement and shook her head, a look of fondness flickering across her expression before she turned to look at the baby who was immediately babbling loudly and reaching for her and on instinct Rhea moved in even closer, stepping into Sean’s space and leaning down to press a kiss to Lily’s head, “I missed you too, sweet girl.” she cooed, letting Lily grab at her fingers before Rhea looked up at Sean, letting out a slow breath since, well...this was close. “I didn’t take you for the carnival type.”

@paradisusstart​​

Sean was with lily strapped in his chest while he walked around the carnival, that way he could do two things at the same thing, patrol and keep his eye on the baby, which it seemed like was having a blast with the colorful things around, hopefully that would tire her, and she would sleep a full night. When he noticed someone looking at him, Sean turned to them. “Can I help you?” 

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Rhea hadn’t been to a carnival probably since she’d been a teenager--since she’d been a human. It was nice...if not a bit overwhelming. But she wasn’t going to focus on that now and instead she just wanted to have fun and not worry about losing control for once. It helped at least too, having food and drink stalls all around that mostly all have vampire-centric offerings. She’d just gotten a blood orange drink when she heard a familiar voice and caught a familiar scent and like a magnet she’d turned, spotting Sean (and Lily) in the crowd. And also just like a magnet, she walked over, seeing him talking to someone random as she came up from behind.

“Maybe they’re just looking at the cute baby.”

Sean threw Rhea a look, a look that she knew very well, something that said he didn’t think her joke was funny but wasn’t bothered by it, after all it was true, escorts on the island weren’t even that good, specially with no harm policy.

“I’m sure Lily will love everything.” he pointed out, he learned that having more than one thing of the same object was always a good idea, specially blankets and toys. “Although I must warn you, she hates pacifiers.” He chuckled. “I cover them in blood, and she sucks on them for a while, but the second the taste is gone, she spits the thing like a missile.” He thought it was very fun to watch.

Rhea didn’t pay the look any mind--in fact she rose an eyebrow at him, almost daring him to say anything more in response. “I hope so.” Rhea replied quietly and slowly, her face broke out with a little smile, any negative emotions slowly seeping out of her and being replaced with something much more content and happy as she continued to rock the baby in her arms, her eyes darting down to Lily once again. This was why she was here. Lily.

Riley didn’t quite understand what Rhea meant by how she was starting to learn that but she shook it off. Perhaps it was just personal experience knowing how hard it was to control being a vampire overall, let alone a child one. The conversation swiftly changed, however, so Riley didn’t have a chance to ask anyway. 

At her question, Riley quirked her brow. “Just enough so that the experience is heightened.” Riley didn’t believe in nor did she need to get people drunk to fall into bed with her but alcohol made things fun. She leaned forward, her finger gently tracing over Rhea’s thigh as she whispered, “After all, I wouldn’t want you to forget me in the morning.” Not that anyone could forget her, even if they were blackout drunk… at least that’s what Riley hoped. 

The car eventually came to a stop in front of a classic looking mansion, suited and designed to match Jer’s old fashioned sensibility with a little splash of quirky for Riley’s entertainment. The door was opened for them and she stepped out, guiding Rhea into her home. It was relatively empty, only a single maid wandering around in case Riley needed anything. “When I first walked into this place, it was covered in cobwebs and dust, I almost considered just turning it into a spider sanctuary but I figured I shouldn’t be that wasteful with money.”

Rhea hummed in response, nodding in agreement since she knew all too well how just the right amount of alcohol made everything feel good. Not drunk and incapacitated, just...better. And that was definitely a feeling she was aiming for right now- especially as Riley teased leaned in, teasing her fingers along her thigh and making little goosebumps prickle up along her skin. “You know, title or not, you sure do have the ego of a royal..” And if her voice was a bit breathier than normal, well, she wasn’t about to admit it out loud.

Sean knew that at this point Rhea was just coming in because of Lily, and he was more than happy to use lily at his favor to spend some time with her, he knew he had fucked up and was constantly fucking up so lily was his best chance of having Rhea near him again.

“What’s all of this?” He asked, giving a fast look at the basket and stepping aside for both of them to walk in. Not a lot of people spoke with him freely without losing their tongue in the process, but Rhea was definitely an exception, he looked. “You know there’s only a way to calm me down.” he pointed out, Sean was always with his guard up, except when he lay on Rhea lap, and she played with his hair while reading something she found interesting, it was the only time he was really at peace.

Despite her anxieties and emotions around being here, Rhea definitely felt better the moment Lily was in her arms, the little baby just...making her smile, making her happy. This feeling alone was more than worth her confusion with being around Sean. 

Even when he was being an idiot.

Riley giggled at Rhea’s retort. She knew when she was caught and wasn’t going to deny it. “I have a license, even if it’s not in use.” Why drive when she could have someone else do it while she scrolled through her social medias? Her mother’s guilt paid for everything and it would be silly not to take advantage of it. “I never claimed that I wasn’t a spoiled brat, even if I’m not officially a princess. I would never survive the life of a plebeian, even my apartment is expensive.”

Just as Rhea predicted, the loud and skyscraper-filled streets soon gave way to quieter softly-lit streets, filled with gated estates and their perfectly manicured lawns. “I actually lived in the city prior to moving in with Jeremiah but the city is no place to raise a little noble baby. They need a lot of space.” And seclusion. Vampire babies were a lot to handle and it wasn’t often that they were successfully raised in urban environments, especially when vampires were still hiding their existence.

“Probably best for the island as a whole.” She teased, grinning over at her, and as Riley continued to speak Rhea couldn’t help but let out a little laugh, snorting in disbelief at the words coming out of the other’s mouth. “We come from such wildly different worlds..” decades ago she was living on the streets. A year ago she barely could afford renting a shitty little studio. And now here she was- room and board for free, a place of her own, a steady job... for the first time life was decent for her. Whereas decent was probably base-level for everything Riley’d ever done in her life. “You wouldn’t have lasted a day in my life before here.”

“But what if it isn’t just a dog? It’s like the newest way to eaves drop,” Noah countered as Rhea approached, a smile growing on his lips. “I mean, I haven’t got a thing to hide; so I’d question why a shifter even wanted to eaves drop on my life, but you never know these days.” 

His attention returned to the dog as it’s nose had nudged up against his hand, reaching out to brush his fingers over the pup’s head, provide a scratch behind his ear. “I don’t know if I’ve met a kid who didn’t want a pet growing up - though I’m sure the whole ‘I’ll take care of it!’ thing never really pans out for the parents that do give in.” Noah’s parents hadn’t been the ones to give in when it came to a pet either, at least not a dog. Fish, on the other hand…

“Yeah - I’m pretty sure those fish were made to die in a couple weeks no matter how much love you poured into them,” Noah remarked, shaking his head a bit as Rhea crouched down beside the dog. “This may very well be your chance to bring a dog home - though I imagine they aren’t exactly native to this island…he’s got to belong to someone, right?” 

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“Well if that’s the case, I think I might just have to let the eavesdropping slide. They’d have to be pretty desperate for information to stay shifted and allow for strangers to pet them like this.” To prove her point she playfully ruffled with the dog’s ears and scratched under its chin, smiling as the dog’s tail wagged at the attention. 

“Fair enough. Although at least most of the time, those kids eventually got their way.” looking back though, it was probably for the best, given she struggled keeping herself alive as a teenager- she didn’t want to think about how she’d try to handle keeping an animal alive as well. “The fish lasted five days. I cried for about three.” She wrinkled her nose as she said it, letting out a little laugh. “I was convinced it was a sign from the universe that I was never meant to have any pets. And my father unceremoniously threw it in the trash so...I never asked again.” As she spoke she kept on petting over the dog’s fur, her smile softening as she shifted to just sit on the grass altogether, happy to sit there and continue on doing this for a few minutes. “I can still barely keep myself alive. I don’t think I’m cut out for a dog. And you’re right--pretty sure golden retrievers are more native to like..Zimbabue or something.”

Riley was a bit surprised by the bold motion but immediately grinned afterwards, more than happy to exchange a drink for a good time. “I’ve been ready since the moment I stepped into this bar.” It wasn’t a lie at all. She had been interested and incessantly flirting with Rhea since she met her–luckily, it didn’t seem like Rhea minded whatsoever. 

She sent a quick text message before heading out. It took her chauffeur about the same amount of time to stop in front of the bar as it took for Rhea to lock up so the door was open and ready for them by the time she turned around. “I never drink and drive,” she reassured Rhea, gesturing for her to enter the car before her. Frankly, Riley rarely drove at all, but it was a small step in impressing the conscientious bartender. 

Rhea again found herself rolling her eyes playfully at the comment but followed her just the same, switching off lights in their wake and locking the bar up for the night. Seconds later a car was pulling up and Rhea just let out a breath, shaking her head slightly. Decades as a vampire, and a year on an island where money didn’t really mean much, and still she found herself taken aback by casual displays of wealth. Case in point- a chauffeur.

Coming to Paradisus had exposed Noah to plenty of new things. Vampires he’d become rather familiar with, maybe even comfortable with, over the years. Witches…he’d learned to try and steer clear of, though that proved to be more of a challenge on the island than anything else. Shifters, though? Shifters were fairly new territory. Ironic, really, considering he had been one… or almost had been one? Could have been one? The logistics of it were still confusing. 

So when a dog had wandered over to him in the middle of the park, Noah had to question whether this creature was a shifter or a good ol’ man’s best friend having become separated from their owner. He’d seen how easily it had been for Kane to shift into his feathered form - so now he was left with more questions than answers as he studied the dog. Did he have a collar? That seemed like it might be a good indicator…

“Hey buddy,” he murmured to the animal before his eyes lifted to see if there was anyone around that might be missing their beloved pet. “Am I supposed to be able to tell if you’re not all dog? Because if you’re not…you’re doing a damn good job blending in.” 

@paradisusstart​

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“Pretty sure that’s just a dog.” Rhea smiled as she walked over, glad to have spotted her friend while on her walk. She hadn’t had a chance to see Noah since the ball, her life just...a mess. Like it always tended to be. A part of her still wondered if she shouldn’t just pack up and go, getting away from...everything. But she was tired of running and bouncing around. She wanted to be in a place that was supposed to be safe. So she’d just..have to learn how to deal with having her long-lost ex back in her life- constantly trying to get her approval back.

She walked over as she said it, watching with a fond smile as the dog nudged at Noah’s hand for pets and as she did she moved to where they were, immediately crouching down and offering her hand out to be sniffed before she pet the dog herself. “I always wanted a dog when I was little. Or a pet in general. Think the best I ever got was a fish won at a fair.”